John Mark Hicks

Hosea, as Yahweh’s prophet, takes on the role of a prosecutor. He serves the indictment against Israel in Hosea 4:1. There is no faithfulness, love, or intimacy with God in the land. The next message from Hosea (5:1-15) renders a verdict. Verdict Announced Hosea delivers the verdict to the leaders of Israel and reminds them […]

The first three chapters of Hosea functions as a prophetic sign-act where God’s relationship with Israel is given a concrete model in the relationship of Hosea and his family. They alternate between judgment and hope, between marriage-divorce-remarriage. God entered into covenant with Israel, and Israel broke faith with Yahweh, but Yahweh promises to renew covenant […]

This is how God loves Israel: Go, love one who has other lovers. God calls Hosea to imitate Yahweh who loves Israel despite their covenant-breaking, despite their betrayals. This is the unrelenting love of God who pursues us. This is the God who loved us even while we were yet enemies. Nothing can separate us […]

Despite Israel’s adulteries and idolatries, Yahweh makes a surprising announcement. “Behold,” Yahweh says, I will renew my relationship with Israel as in the day when I brought her out of Egypt, loved her in the wilderness, and gave her prosperity in the land. A day is coming when Yahweh covenant with Israel in justice and […]

Israel’s spiritual adulteries and lack of faithfulness to Yahweh as their God has led to their destruction. Through an abundance of metaphors (stripped and humiliated before the nations, killed by thirst in the wilderness, devoured by wild beasts, etc.), Israel’s future is shaped by their disloyalty to Yahweh and their religious syncretism. They loved the […]

The book opens with a narrative, especially chapters one and three, which provides an account of the prophet Hosea’s marriage and children. The point, of course, is not a Wikipedia article that covers all the details. Rather, that narrative supplies the framework in which the oracles of Hosea are heard. Hosea’s message is one of […]

Hosea 1:1 and 14:9 The first line of the book of Hosea identifies the author as a prophet, the time of his ministry, and the social setting in which he lives. The last verse of Hosea invites hearers to discern the ways of the Yahweh and walk in them. This video introduces the prophet and […]